Vitthalanatha

Vitthala-natha (IAST: Viṭṭhalanātha, c. 1516-1588), popularly known as Gusainji, was an Indian philosopher. He was the younger son of Vallabhacharya, who founded the Pushtimarg religious sect of Hinduism.

For Hindu god, see Vithoba.

Vitthalanath
A painting of Vitthalanatha
Bornc. 1516
Charanat near Varanasi, India
Diedc. 1588
EraAncient philosophy
RegionIndian philosophy
SchoolHindu philosophy, Shuddhadvaita, Pushtimarg, Vedanta

Names

The name Vitthalanatha is also pronounced as Vitthalnath in modern vernaculars because of schwa deletion. His other names include Vitthaleshvara (IAST: Viṭṭhaleśvara), Vitthala Dikshita, or Agnikumara.[1] In addition, he is known by the title Gosvami (Gosain-ji or Gusain-ji).[2]

Early life

Vitthalanatha was born around 1516 (between 1515 and 1518[2]), as the second son of the religious scholar Vallabha.[1]

His devotees consider him an incarnation of the god Vithoba (Vitthal) of Pandharpur.[2] He was brought up by Vallabha till the age of 15, and after that, by Vallabha's disciple Damodara-dasa.[1]

He was proficient in the Vedas, the Brahma Sutra, and the Mimansa philosophy. He studied nyaya at Navadvipa.[2]

Religious activities

After the deaths of his father Vallabhacharya (c. 1530), his elder brother Gopinatha, and Gopinatha's son Purushottama (c. 1550), Vitthalanatha emerged as the main leader of the religious sect established by his father. Initially, he faced some opposition from Krishnadasa, a manager of the Shrinathji Temple. Krishnadasa banned Vitthalanatha from entering the temple because of personal disputes, but later, reconciled with him. Vitthalanatha forgave him, and made him in-charge of the Govardhan Hill temple.[3]

Vitthalanatha propagated the teachings of his father, and established a religious centre at Gokul.[2]

Literary works

The texts and commentaries attributed to Vitthala include:[2][4]

  • Arya
  • Avatarataratamya-stotra
  • Bhakti-hamsa
  • Bhakti-hetu-nirnaya
  • Gita-govinda-prathamashtapadi-vivriti
  • Jalabheda-tika
  • Krishna-premamrita
  • Nyasa-desha-vivarana-prabodha
  • Premamrita-bhashya
  • Shringara-rasa-mandanam (Śr̥ṅgāra-rasa-maṇḍanam)
  • Vidvan-Mandanam (Vidvan-maṇḍanam)
  • Vidya-mandana

References
  1. G. V. Devasthali 1977, p. x.
  2. Roshen Dalal 2014, p. 1375.
  3. Richard Keith Barz 1976, p. 54.
  4. B. K. Bhatt 1980, p. 154.

Bibliography
  • B. K. Bhatt (1980). Vallabhacharya. Abul Kalam Azad Oriental Research Institute. OCLC 567834413.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • G. V. Devasthali, ed. (1977). Śr̥ṅgāra-rasa-maṇḍanam. Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. OCLC 644448135.
  • Richard Keith Barz (1976). The Bhakti Sect of Vallabhācārya. Thomson. OCLC 29277626.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Roshen Dalal (2014). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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